Luxury Institute Survey: High Net-Worth Consumers Rank Celebrity, Holland America and Princess the Cruise Lines With the Best Customer Experience

Market Wire, July, 2007

High net-worth consumers rated Celebrity the cruise line with the best experience in the 2007 Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI) survey from the independent New York-based Luxury Institute ( www.LuxuryInstitute.com ). Holland America and Princess were rated second and third, respectively.

Here is what high net-worth consumers had to say about recommending Celebrity:

--  "The food is excellent [and there are] lots of little service perks
    (champagne on boarding, cool towels when returning from ports). It's
    elegant without being stuffy."

--  "Their name says it all. They completely and totally make you feel
    like a celebrity in every sense of the word!"

--  "Well maintained, good food, good entertainment, longer packages and
    good destinations."
    

For those cruise lines they would not recommend, the most frequently cited reasons were poor service, sub-standard food and/or accommodations, and crowds.

"The top cruise lines understand the importance of attracting wealthy consumers as the choices within the cruise industry multiply. These highly desirable travelers want exclusivity, superior amenities, and delightful experiences. Personal attention and the small details (i.e., cool towels) go a long way, especially if all the major details are done correctly," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute.

"As an independent entity, we go directly to the high net-worth consumer and deliver their collective voice for the benefit of all constituencies. Since cruise ships are rolling off production lines at a feverish rate, there is a highly competitive race for high net-worth consumer dollars and it is important for an impartial entity to provide unbiased, consumer-based ratings of the top cruise lines," added Pedraza.

Following are the cruise lines* that were rated (in alphabetical order)

1.   Carnival Cruises
2.   Celebrity Cruises
3.   Disney Cruise Lines
4.   Holland America Line
5.   Norwegian Cruise Lines
6.   Princess Cruises
7.   Royal Caribbean

The proprietary Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI) survey is the only measure of the customer experience of leading brands among wealthy Americans. A national sample of over 1,650 wealthy American consumers, with an average income of $302K, and average net worth of $3.2 million was surveyed online. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.

* To be included in the analysis, a minimum incidence of 2% of wealthy consumers surveyed was required to obtain a meaningful quantitative sample of respondents. Clipper, Costa, Crystal, Cunard, Delta Queen, Lindblad, Oceania, Orient Lines, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, Viking River and Windstar cruise lines were included in the questionnaire but not in the final analysis due to low levels of consumers cruising with these companies over the previous 12 months.

About the Luxury Institute

The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings, reviews and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. The Luxury Institute also operates the Luxury Board ( www.luxuryboard.com ), the world's first global, membership-based online community for luxury goods and services executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. To reach the Luxury Institute, please call 646-792-2669 or go to www.luxuryinstitute.com .

Contact: Martin Swanson Vice President, Business Development The Luxury Institute (office) 914-909-6350 (cell) 914-715-3357 Email Contact www.luxuryinstitute.com